On this episode of Former Fed Friday, Hunter Gros and Shelley McGuire sit down with former CMS cybersecurity leader Malachi Robinson for a candid conversation about influence, innovation, and what really drives federal technology adoption. After spending more than a decade shaping cloud authorization strategy, SaaS governance, and risk-based frameworks at CMS, Malachi shares why he walked away from traditional cybersecurity leadership paths and chose to focus on user experience instead.

The conversation explores how government influence changes once you leave public service, why authority alone doesn’t create lasting impact, and how poor user experience fuels shadow IT and emerging risks around shadow AI. Malachi also breaks down what industry often gets wrong when engaging federal agencies, what actually cuts through the noise for government decision-makers, and why empathy and translation between government and industry matter more than ever.

From FedRAMP and continuous ATO modernization to the future of SaaS governance, this episode offers a thoughtful look at the human side of cybersecurity and why the future of federal tech may depend less on policy alone and more on designing systems people can actually use.

To connect with Malachi visit him on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about Aquia by visiting their website here.

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